The present invention was developed in recognition of a long felt need for a peristaltic, or flexible tube, pump combining low cost with accurately metered fluid transfer even at relatively low flow rates and pressures.
Although the preferred embodiment disclosed in detail hereafter was developed in connection with apparatus for metering an antiprecipitate concentrate liquid to the water reservoir of a humidifier, to control accumulation of mineral deposits therein, the present invention is usable with, or adaptable to, other devices for other purposes, including, for example, metering of liquid biocides or bacteriacides to cooling towers, metering of liquid treatment products to swimming pool installations, metering of water or liquid plant food solutions to containerized plants, and so forth.
Although peristaltic type pumps have long been known, none, insofar as I am aware, provide the advantageous combination of features present in the present invention. Particularly, prior peristaltic pumps of which I am aware have been relatively high cost items and of relatively complex construction, often requiring relatively sophisticated manufacturing steps, including substantial machining. Prior peristaltic pumps frequently have been relatively imprecise as fluid metering devices, particularly with relatively small flow rates. Further, such prior pumps have frequently been relatively bulky and space consuming and ill adapted for use in available small spaces, for example, within the housing or cabinet of an existing device, such as a humidifier, and further have often been relatively inflexible as to mounting.
Accordingly, the objects of this invention include provision of:
1. A flexible tube pump of simplified construction having relatively few and simple parts, in which parts associated with the pump mechanism are produceable by molding of known plastic materials without machining, and which is readily manufacturable in high volume at low cost.
2. A pump, as aforesaid, capable of incorporating standard, widely available motive power sources.
3. A pump, as aforesaid, which is compact and usable in small spaces such as in equipment cabinets existing devices to which such pump is to supply fluid and which eliminates the need for separate and additional components to mount the motor and pumping mechanism.
4. A pump, as aforesaid, which is adaptable in installation and can be readily installed by persons without prior training and which makes use of adhesive bonding techniques in mounting.
5. A pump, as aforesaid, which is capable of precise metering at relatively small flow rates and pressures.
Other objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with apparatus of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.